


Saving Grace

by KARMA (MeSuBe84)



Category: Drama - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-27
Updated: 2014-07-22
Packaged: 2017-12-16 08:03:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/859823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeSuBe84/pseuds/KARMA
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story contains abuse and sexual violence so please keep that in mind before reading. NSFW.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Grace woke with a start. The way you do when you’re falling in a dream and you’re about to hit the ground. She looked around, trying to recognize her surroundings. The room she was in was dimly lit and didn’t have much in it, other than the bed she was currently lying on, a small round table, desk lamp and a rickety old chair. Grace felt groggy and heavy, like she had lead flowing through her veins. _Why is my head so fuzzy?_ She tried to think back on the last thing she remembered doing. She remembered walking down a back street trying to find a museum that she had seen in her Moscow travel brochure. She thought the back street would’ve been a good short cut. Obviously not the smartest thing to do in a strange city. She remembered suddenly being grabbed from behind, something covered her nose and mouth…a cloth. She had struggled, kicking her feet and trying to remove the strong hand from her face. Then blackness. Now she was awake and had no idea where she was. Her heart was racing. Grace moved slowly, feeling like her head was going to fall off. As she sat up, she mentally breathed a sigh of relief to see that she was still fully clothed. Her head pounded like crazy and got worse the more her eyes tried to adjust to the dim room. The more they adjusted, the more she was able to see her depressing confines. _What the hell is this place?_ As Grace looked around, her eyes focused on a door. Grace got up and stumbled across the room. She leaned on the door and tried to turn the knob. Locked. _Of course._ Grace jiggled the knob and tried to pull at the door. Her heart and head were pounding furiously. “hello!?” Grace shouted. “Is someone there!? Please open the door!” she pounded her fists on the door as hard as she could. She stopped to listen for a few seconds. Nothing. All she could hear was the pounding of her heart in her ears.

Grace trembled and sank to the floor. _This can’t be happening._ She thought. _There has to be a different explanation for this._ Grace tried to rationalize her situation. She couldn’t have really been kidnapped could she? What for? She had nothing of value. She wasn’t rich. She didn’t even look like she had money. A knot formed in the pit of her stomach as a scary thought hit her. She’d heard of these things. Innocent women being kidnapped and forced into doing unspeakable things. Like sex trafficking or being tortured by some psycho serial killer. The thought made her blood run cold. Tears started to pool in her eyes. _No! Damn it Grace, get a hold of_ _yourself! They won’t see you weak!_ Grace stood, feeling a bit more steady, she walked around the room. “jail cells are bigger than this shit hole.” she said out loud. Grace began to look for anything that would make a decent weapon. _The chair?_ That wasn’t good enough. _Maybe the lamp cord._ She could try to strangle her kidnapper. _Shut up Grace._ She sat on the bed and suddenly remembered her purse! She always carried a butterfly knife in her purse. She looked around frantically. Under the bed, the table, it was nowhere to be found. “Shit!” Her I.D, passport, money….her phone. Everything was in that purse and now it was gone. Whoever had her here would definitely know who she was and where she was from. Grace sank onto the bed. _What am I going to do? I have to get out of here somehow._ As she had that thought, Grace heard the turning of locks on the door. She scrambled to her feet, preparing to launch herself at her attacker as he walked through the door. As she was getting into attack mode, in walked the biggest man she had ever seen.

He was sharply dressed in a grey suit and white shirt. Grace looked him over. _My fucking God he’s huge!_ He was well over 6ft. He had to be at least 6’5, maybe even 6’7. Grace tried to muster up some courage. She realized her throat was extremely dry and scratchy as she began to speak. “who are you!?” she asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. “why am I here? What do you want!?….answer me!” Within three large strides, the man was instantly looming over her. Grace took in his massive size and found her self unable to breath. He glowered down at her with cold, piercing green eyes. Eyes that looked like they had witnessed horrendous things. He was mostly bald, his head closely shaved. He had a gnarly thick scar that seemed to come from the back of his head, just to the top of his right eye. This man had obviously seen his share of violence and was clearly not one to shy away from it. He glared at Grace for a moment before speaking. “You will ask no questions” he said, in a thick Russian accent. His voice was deep and although he spoke calmly, he had a tone that was daring Grace to challenge him. It gave her chills. “why you are here will be explained in due time. You are to keep quiet and only speak when spoken to. You will make no eye contact unless told to do so. Nod if you understand.” He spoke so nonchalantly. As if he had given that speech a dozen times. Grace stared wide eyed and slack jawed at the giant before her. _Don’t_ _speak unless spoken to? No eye contact? What the fuck was this place!?_ “Do you understand!?” he snapped, growing impatient. His tone made Grace jump but she silently nodded her head. “Good” he said, sounding calm again. “if you disobey these rules at any time, there will be consequences.” Grace’s chest tightened and she gaped at him. She started to speak, “but…” His eyes quickly darkened which was enough to cut her off. “remember the rules!” he scolded. Grace shut her mouth. The man glared at her before turning and walking back towards the door. As he reached it, he stopped and slowly looked back over his shoulder, “you will not be reminded again.” with that, he straightened and walked out the door. Grace heard the locks turning back into place. This time she could not hold back her tears which were already streaming down her face. Grace fell onto the bed and curled into a tight ball. Hugging her knees to her chest, she sobbed uncontrollably. Her heart fell and she became nauseous as she realized, _I’m not getting out of here alive_.


	2. Chapter 2

 

Tommy stood on the rooftop gazing into the distance, while he smoked a cigarette and sipped from his flask of scotch. He really should quit smoking and drinking but it gave him something to do and he needed the distraction. Besides, it was damn cold outside and the scotch warmed his insides. Moscow was chilly in October but nothing compared to how cold it would get come December. Tommy hoped he would be out of the country by then. Moscow was beautiful to him once, but he grew to hate it. He longed for the states now. He missed being back home in the crappy Pittsburgh weather. Missed being able to stop in at his local bar and catch a ball game or sit in his favorite diner and chat with the regulars whom he had known most of his life. Tommy often cursed himself for leaving and ending up in this godforsaken place. He was not proud of being hired muscle but he really needed the cash. Getting to travel for free was not bad either, if only he was doing it for a better reason. Tommy pulled his jacket tighter around himself. _Fuck this_ , he thought. Tommy didn't bother finishing his smoke before flicking it over the side of the building and walking back inside. Tommy’s partner Nikolai was sitting in a leather armchair writing in a journal. “What do you write in that thing?” Tommy asked. Nikolai did not bother looking up. “Private thoughts” he said shortly in his gruff Russian accent. Tommy raised an eyebrow. “Private thoughts huh?” he asked as he took another sip from his flask. He was starting to feel a little buzz from the smooth warm liquor. “You know Nik, you‘re not a big talker. You should open up more. Then you wouldn’t need a journal.” Nikolai glanced up at Tommy for a second. “Some things are better left unsaid.” Tommy smirked “Fair enough.” Tommy and Nikolai had been partners for almost two years. He preferred calling Nikolai a partner instead of a friend. They did not have friends in their kind of life. Only enemies. Partners only meant that they took care of business together. Things like, torturing people to get information, sabotaging an enemies plans, throwing people off bridges…you know, the usual everyday stuff. Tommy felt that Nikolai was actually with him to make sure that he did not screw up. He was not fully trusted yet. The thought annoyed Tommy. He had more than proven himself. He took on every job without complaint and barely batted an eye. At least with Nik around, he knew someone had his back. Nikolai barely spoke, but when he did, it was straight to the point. No bullshit. Tommy knew shit about the man, except that he was one dangerous, psycho bastard. He even looked deadly, with fierce green eyes that could cut you in half with a single glance and a gruesome thick scar that ran from the back of his head to the top of his right eye. He was a daunting sight. Standing a bit over 6’5 and weighing what Tommy guessed was at least 280, Nikolai was like a brick wall of pure muscle. Tommy would sometimes joke with Nikolai and call him “Nik the brick.” It rather became a moniker for him throughout their organization, much to Nikolai’s discontent. Tommy was not intimidated my many people but he knew if he ever had to go up against Nik, he might not walk away afterwards. Tommy and Nik had received a message from The Boss, calling for an urgent meeting with the two of them. That usually meant there was business to be handled. Tommy and Nik sat in the small scantily decorated room that was The Boss’s office. Tommy always thought it was a strange place to have an office, considering they were in an abandoned warehouse that had long ago been shut down. However, it was probably the best place for their business to go unnoticed. Tommy paced back and forth. “I wonder what’s so important. Do you think it’s about that thing we took care of last week?” Nikolai stayed quiet until Tommy stopped pacing and looked at him. Nikolai stared at Tommy for a second before simply replying, “It’s probably about the new girl downstairs.” Tommy got chills down his spine. “Fuck! Another one? How many is that now?” Nikolai said nothing and continued to write in his journal. Tommy shook his head. The Boss had a grisly habit of having women brought to him, to use however he pleased. Usually against their will. He was sick like that. He would torture them, rape them, and beat them just for his own demented pleasure. He got off on their screaming and pleas for help. Tommy felt just as demented for even associating himself with such as person. Tommy usually kept himself like stone. You cannot show weakness in this business, but he always felt horrible for the women. He really hoped The Boss would let this one go once he was finished with her, but Tommy knew better. The Boss was only kind when it came to putting the poor girl out of her misery. If she had pleased him, her death would be quick and painless but if she did not….Tommy shuddered at the thought. Nikolai, who had been watching Tommy’s expressions play out on his face, quietly said, “What The Boss wants, The Boss gets. You know this. What we think makes no difference.” Tommy looked surprised. “What WE think?” Nikolai stared at Tommy but said nothing. If tommy didn't know better, he would think that Nik disapproved of The Boss’s activities. Before Tommy could call him out on it, the office door opened and in walked Satan himself. _Speak of the devil and he appears_. Tommy immediately tucked his flask into the inside pocket of his jacket and straightened his stance. Hands folded behind his back, he stood like a soldier at attention. Nikolai instantly rose to his feet and nodded his head towards the man. “Boss” he said in acknowledgement. Ivan Romanov, known to his crew as simply “The Boss” stood in the doorway suspiciously eyeing the two men in his office. He slowly closed the door and walked over to a large oak desk. Taking off his suit jacket, he held it out to Nikolai who immediately took it and place it on a coat hook. “Thomas,” Ivan ordered in his thick accent, “bring me a drink.” Tommy stiffened at the usage of his actual name. He hated being called Thomas. It made him feel like he was a child.  Tommy rolled his eyes as he went to the mini bar to fetch Ivan’s drink. Tommy took a crystal glass from the bar and picked up the container of Ivan’s favorite vodka, Russo-Baltique. One of the most expensive vodkas on the market, it came in a twenty pound case made of solid gold and cost roughly $740,000. The lucky buyer even got a free SUV with his purchase. Tommy scoffed at the idea of paying that much for some damn vodka, even if he did get a free car with it. _Shit, back home I could buy a decent house for that kind of cash_! Tommy shook his head. _What a waste_. It seemed crazy to him, to be that rich and spend your money on some measly alcohol. Although he did often get to drive the free SUV, so he really should not complain. Besides, as long as he was being paid, why should he care how Ivan spent his money? That is how Ivan was; he had to have the best of everything. The best cars, suits, cigars, obviously the best booze and even the most gorgeous women hanging on his arm. _Too bad he's a twisted fuck_. Tommy set the drink down in front of Ivan. “Spasiba” Ivan said, waving Tommy away. “Yeah you’re welcome Boss.” Tommy said with just a hint of contempt in his voice. Ivan did not notice it. He was obviously too distracted by the thought of his next conquest. “So tell me,” Ivan said. “Tourist, American” said Nikolai. “Somewhat young, about 30 years old, very attractive.” Nikolai was very matter of fact. No emotion whatsoever. He spoke to Ivan as if he was selling him a car. Ivan nodded and stroked his chin. _How villain like,_  Tommy thought to himself. This conversation was making him sick. “Have her cleaned up and take her to the basement in half an hour. I want to see first before I decide.” said Ivan. Nikolai gave a short nod and then left the room. “What do you need me to do?” Tommy asked a bit wary. Ivan stared at him for a moment before getting up and walking around the desk to stand in front of him. “If I like the girl, you and Nikolai will be in charge of preparing her for me.” _Awe fuck!_ Tommy cursed to himself. He did not want to have anything to do with Ivan’s sadistic plans for this woman. Ivan must have noticed the look of dread on Tommy’s face. “Is that a problem Thomas?” Ivan asked cocking his head to the side. _Shit!_ Tommy thought as he pulled himself together. He had to be cool. If Ivan thought for a second that Tommy had any reluctance towards his orders, he would have him killed instantly. Tommy looked Ivan straight in the eye, “no problem Boss” he said in what he hoped was a convincing tone. It must have worked because Ivan nodded at him. “Good boy. Now, since you are American Thomas, I will need you to translate if necessary. You will let her know what is expected of her and make sure that she complies with my rules. Eto panyAtno?” Tommy nodded “yes Boss. Crystal clear” Ivan lightly patted Tommy’s cheek before walking over and taking his jacket from the coat hook. Tommy followed and helped Ivan into his jacket. “Make sure she’s not late. I hate to wait.” Ivan said. Tommy nodded and held the door open so Ivan could walk through. Ivan hesitated for a moment before turning back to Tommy and said “oh and Thomas? Lay off the scotch.” Tommy gave a short nod and rolled his eyes as Ivan walked away. _Bastard_ he thought. Tommy headed downstairs towards the basement. He had never been asked to take part in Ivan’s “extra curricular activities” He sure as hell did not want to be involved. He could throw someone off a roof or dump a body in a river and lose no sleep over it, but this…this was different. He was not sure he could go through with being a part of destroying an innocent woman’s life. Even though he went over all this in his head, Tommy knew why Ivan was having him do it. He was definitely testing him. He wanted to see how far Tommy could go. If he failed, he was good as dead. Either way, someone was going to die and he had rather it not be him. Feeling rather queasy, Tommy went into the restroom and leaned over the sink. He splashed cold water on his face and took a few deep breaths. _Get it together Tom. You_ _have done shit much worse than this_. Still, he realized that he was nervous for the first time since working for Ivan. Tommy stared at his reflection in the mirror. _Can you do it Tommy? Can you send a lamb to the slaughter?_ As he asked himself the question, he already knew the answer _._


	3. Chapter 3

 

Grace paced back and forth in the tiny room. She stopped and walked to a window that she hadn't noticed before. She hoped to get a clue to where she was or maybe someone would see her and she could signal for help. As Grace looked out the dirty window, she sighed in disappointment. The window faced the side of an adjoining building that had no windows. She could tell that she was on a top floor as she could see across to the roof of the other building. Grace tried to open the window only to find that it was jammed shut. Frustrated, Grace turned away and sat on the squeaky bed. She cringed as she thought about who or what had been on this bed before her. Grace heard footsteps approaching outside her door. She quickly stood, prepared to face whoever was coming. The door opened and in walked the same tall scary man that she had encountered earlier. The one with the scar. He eyed her for a moment before closing the door behind him. He noticed the fear in her eyes but it was accompanied by anger...hatred. "I want to go home!" Grace shouted at him. "I don't have anything you want. You can't keep me here! Don't you know it's against the law to kidnap people?" The man stared at her but remained silent. Grace swallowed. "Look Asshole, whatever you're going to do just do it." The man walked slowly towards her, backing Grace into the wall. She was shaking but refused to let herself look away. She met his stare and glared back at him. He was close...very close. She could feel his hot breath on her neck. He smelled like some kind of aftershave. He brought his hands up and placed them on the wall on each side of her head. He spoke slowly. " I AM the law here. You'll do well to remember it." He enunciated each word as he spoke in his deadly tone. Grace knew he wasn't joking. "I...I..." she stuttered. "I have to use the restroom...please" He glared at her before backing away. "We must go anyway. Someone wants to meet you." Grace's eyes widened. This whole time she thought that it had been only him who had her here. She shuddered to think that there was someone else. "Who is it?" she asked. He gave her an evil grin as he pulled a black cloth out of his pocket. "I will blindfold you." He said as he moved toward her again. "No, please.." Grace pleaded. She tried to move away from him, tried her best to get by him. Where she was going to go, she hadn't a clue but she had to get away. He was too big and fast. Anytime Grace tried to move, he was instantly in front of her. Without a second thought, Grace swung a right hook and connected with his jaw, hard. Pain shot through her hand. The hit didn't phase him at all. He didn't even blink. All she had succeeded in doing was making him angry and he was quickly losing his patience with her. Suddenly, he grabbed her freshly injured hand and squeezed it hard. Grace cried out. He twisted her arm behind her back and shoved her roughly into the wall face first. Grace sobbed loudly. "NOW" he said fiercely. "You can come quietly or I can carry you piece by piece." He twisted her arm harder until Grace screamed out "OKAY!" She thought for sure that her arm was going to snap in half. "PLEASE! STOP!" The man held her arm for a moment longer before letting it go and quickly turning her to face him. Once more he held up the blindfold. He glared at her in warning, daring her to try him again. Grace reluctantly nodded. He blindfolded her and then grabbing her elbow, led Grace from the room. Grace's heart pounded in her ears. For the first time, she didn't want to leave the tiny confines of the room. She was too scared to cry. She walked slowly, afraid of who or what she would encounter next. She would get a light shove from her monster of an escort whenever she started to walk too slow. Grace feared where the man was taking her next. Suddenly he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to a stop. Grace heard a door open and then he roughly pushed her sideways through the doorway. Grace stumbled into a wall. He removed the blindfold from her eyes. They were in a tiny restroom with a dirty toilet and a broken mirror. "You have five minutes." Said the scary man. "Clean yourself up as well." He slammed the door, leaving Grace alone in the restroom. At least he was giving her some privacy. She quickly did her business and went to the sink to wash up. There was no soap or towels. _Awesome._ Grace thought to herself. This place is a regular Hilton. Grace looked at her reflection in the broken mirror. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. Her pretty face streaked with tear stains. She looked like hell. Grace turned on the faucet and let the water run until it was steaming hot. She gently splashed the hot water over her face and ran her wet hands through her hair. She tried to comb her fingers through the tangled mess without much success. She decided it was the best she was going to do. She wasn't trying to impress these crazy fucks anyway. A hard knock on the door made her jump. "Hurry up!" yelled the gruff voice on the other side. "I'm finished!" Grace yelled back. The door opened and the scary man looked at her suspiciously. He moved to blindfold her again. Grace had a quick moment of bravery and as hard as she could, kicked the man in the groin. His eyes bulged and he doubled over in pain, falling to his knees. Grace quickly pushed past him into the hallway. Grace ran down the hall as fast as she could. She had no clue where she was going. "YOU FUCKING BITCH!" he yelled after her. The narrow hallway had black walls had bright light bulbs dangling from the ceiling. There were doors lining the hall. Grace tried each knob as she ran past. They were all locked, except for one. Grace threw the door open and ran inside the room, not knowing what could be waiting on the inside. She was shocked to see a room almost identical to the one she had been put in. _Holy shit! How many people do they have here?_ Grace wondered how many women were going through this same experience. Lost in her thoughts, Grace forgot about the large angry man she left in the hallway...at least until she felt a hand grab a fistful of her hair and yank her head back. The pain was instant and shot through her head and neck. It was enough to snap her back to the present. The man held her hair so close to the root that Grace couldn't turn her head if she wanted to. Grace clawed at his hands as he pulled her head back even further. Grace trembled as she stared into the evil green eyes glaring down at her. "YOU STUPID LITTLE CUNT!" he spat at her. "NOW YOU'RE FUCKED!" He let go of her hair but before she could react, he hit her hard across the face with his large fist. The blow knocked Grace to the floor and left her stunned. She lay there motionless, feeling like she had just been hit by a truck. Pain throbbed in her face and head. Grace tasted the coppery flavor of blood starting to pool in her mouth. The man stood over her, glowering down at her motionless body. Grace needed to move. She slowly rolled over and tried to push herself up onto her hands and knees. She started to crawl away but only got a few inches before he brought his foot up hard into her stomach, sending her body flying into the wall. Grace let out a gutteral cry. She couldn't breathe. The pain was indescribable. The force of his kick, was enough to knock the breath from her lungs. Grace tried gasping for air but her lungs burned and her stomach felt as if there were knives stuck in it. She curled her body into a fetal position. Tears poured down her face as she sobbed loudly while trying to catch her breath. "You're one tough bitch, I'll give you that." The man said looking down at her. "You got balls. Too bad that's only going to cause you more pain." He reached down and grabbed her by her hair again. Grace cried out in pain. "PLEASE!" She begged grabbing at his hands, "PLEASE STOP!" Grace swung her arms and kicked her legs to try and make some contact with him but her efforts were wasted. He was behind her now and she couldn't reach him, plus she was physically exhausted and pain racked her entire body. He laughed at her. An sinister laugh that caused Grace to give up her aimless fight against him. "Do you really think you can take me sweetheart?" He asked with much amusement in his voice. He dragged Grace to the bed and threw her down face first onto the soiled mattress. Grace panicked. "What are you doing? Please don't!" she begged. He put one knee in the middle of her back. The weight of him left her breathless once again. Grace tried with all her strength to twist her way out from under his knee. He chuckled at her. "Give it up bitch, you're only going to hurt yourself." He grabbed both of her arms and pulled them behind her back. He fastened her wrists together using a plastic zip tie, pulling it tight enough to bite into her skin. Grace cried and continued to jerk her body around on the bed. "YOU FUCKING PSYCHO!" She screamed at him. He flashed her the evil grin. "You've made us late now and that is not good for you." He chided in his thick accent. She hated the sound of his voice and that stupid accent. "I'll die before I let anyone touch me!" Grace yelled at him. The man removed his knee from her back and pulling her up, he hissed in her ear, "That's the plan." Grace stared at him wide eyed, terror etched on her face. Suddenly the man reached out and smoothed down Grace's hair. The random gesture was odd and almost endearing. It was as if he did it absentmindedly. Grace jerked her head away. Not bothered by her disgust for him, he simply said "Since you can't behave, you'll be bound and blindfolded." "FUCK YOU!" Grace cursed. He smirked and produced the blindfold from his pocket once again. He stared at Grace to see if she was going to fight the process. When she looked away from him, he knew she would be compliant. He slipped the blindfold over her eyes and grabbed her elbow, pulling her from the bed. "Come" he said "we've wasted enough time with your nonsense." He pushed her towards the door and back out into the hallway. Grace heard him close the door and lock it. He nudged her forward down the hallway. Grace deliberately took small steps and when they came to a stairwell, the man had to guide her down, which seemed to annoy him. He didn't seem like he enjoyed being helpful. That could have been avoided if he didn't insist on blindfolding her. It seemed like they walked for an eternity, before the man grabbed Grace's shoulder and pulled her to a stop. A door opened. "Inside!" He barked at her while pushing her through the doorway. Grace's heart wanted to leap from her chest. She took a deep breath and took a few steps forward. The door closed. Grace was hot and sweaty. She could hear the sound of her own breathing echoing in her ears. She shook all over. Then she heard a deep Russian voice. "You're late Nikolai. What is the meaning of this?" Grace was startled by the voice that she didn't recognize. "Sorry Boss" the scary man said. "She had issues complying with the rules." Ahh! So he does have a name. Nikolai. It was a strong name, very fitting for her ogre of an escort. "I assume that is the reason for her bindings...and the swelling on her face?" The Boss asked. "Yes Boss" Nikolai replied. "She became aggressive, so I had to calm her down." The Boss let out a snort. "You let a woman get the best of you Niki. You're limp is proof enough of that." Grace felt Nikolai stiffen behind her. "I assure you it won't happen again" he said. His hand on her shoulder squeezed a little tighter as he spoke. Despite her fear, Grace felt a tiny victory at having injured him. "You've gotten one over on one of my best men." The Boss said now directing his comments to Grace. "Not many people have accomplished such a thing." There was a hint of amusement in his voice. Grace said nothing and bit her tongue. "You have spirit" he said to her "but spirits are made to be broken." Grace jumped as she suddenly felt a cold clammy hand on her cheek. Her heart raced. "Let's see those eyes" The Boss said as he removed her blindfold. Grace squinted against the bright lights. As her eyes focused, she took in her surroundings. They were in a large room. Grace thought it could be a basement. One of the walls was taken up by a large two way mirror. In the center of the room was a round platform probably used for modeling something...or someone. Grace realized that it was a type of make shift showroom. She shuddered to think what it was used for and more importantly, who was watching her from behind the glass. Grace finally focused her attention on the man in front of her who was patiently waiting for her to take notice of him. Taking him in, Grace thought he could've been a handsome man in his younger years. He looked tired and worn but had few wrinkles. He was stalky and about average height. A midget compared to the monster of a man that brought her here. His short black hair was perfectly slicked back and had not a strand out of place. He had menacing dark brown eyes, almost black. They reminded Grace of a shark's eyes when they smelled blood in the water. He had a big strong nose that was slightly crooked, like it had been broken at one time. The way he stared at Grace made her uneasy and caused her to fidget. She was unable to keep eye contact with him and immediately dropped her eyes to the floor. She noticed his shoes were expensive looking. Black crocodile loafers. Her eyes moved up to examine the white luxury three piece suit he had on. This man definitely had money but in Grace's opinion could use some fashion tips. Having a lot of money didn't buy good taste in clothing and Grace found his style to be tacky. The Boss placed his hand under Grace's chin and lifted her head up so he could look at her. "What a face" he said softly as he ran his hand down her cheek. "What eyes you have. You're an absolute vision." Grace curled her lip at him in disgust and jerked her head away from his hand. "Go fuck yourself Asshole." Grace said coldly. The Boss laughed as he grabbed her chin again, this time a lot harder. "Such passion!" he said laughing. "I love a little fire in a woman." Grace glared at him. "Ahh! Such hatred" he said, leaning closer to her. "Your eyes betray your emotions my dear. It is fear that I see in you." Grace spat in the man's face. "What emotion is that fucker?!" The room got eerily quiet but Grace could've sworn she heard Nikolai suck in a sharp breath. The Boss stood still for a moment before removing a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiping his face. Grace knew that spitting on him was a mistake. A part of her wanted to beg for forgiveness on her hands and knees but the other part of her opted to stand her ground. Grace anticipated a slap or some sort of consequence for her actions. The Boss said nothing as he turned and walked to sit in a chair that was located next to the two way mirror. The Boss waved his hand to Nikolai, who then pushed Grace forward to the platform. "Step up" Nikolai said. Grace turned and looked at him, her eyes pleading. Nikolai turned her back around and roughly pushed her onto the platform. He started to untie her hands before he paused and said "If you try anything again, I will kill you." Grace took the threat seriously but remained quiet. "Do you understand what Nikolai has just told you?" The Boss asked. Grace glared at him. "You will answer." He warned. Grace reluctantly gave a short nod. Nikolai released her hands and then stepped away. Grace rubbed at her tender wrists which were developing welts from the bindings being too tight. "Turn around." The Boss said, making a circle motion with his hand. Grace stared at him. "What do you want from me?" she asked. The Boss look annoyed. "I just told you. Now turn around or Nikolai will turn you himself." Grace glanced back at Nikolai who instantly stepped forward in warning. Grace's sore ribs reminded her not to test him again. Hesitating for a moment, Grace slowly turned in a circle. "Good, very good." The Boss said delighted. "Now take off sweater." Grace froze mid turn. "What for?" Nikolai moved quickly and was instantly in front of her. Before Grace knew it, Nikolai slapped her hard across her already bruised face. Grace let out a small cry as her hand flew to her cheek. "DO AS YOU'RE TOLD!" Nikolai snapped. "Easy on her face Niki." The Boss scolded. "I like her face. Do not ruin it anymore." Nikolai instantly stepped back. _Damn_. Grace thought, _this Boss guy must be a big deal if a man as fierce as Nikolai complies to his every demand like a well trained dog_. Grace desparately tried to keep the tears from pooling in her eyes. The Boss stared at her, waiting for her to comply with his most recent demand. Grace unzipped her grey hoodie and removed it, letting it fall to her feet. She had only worn a white tank top underneath the sweater, not realizing how cold it would be that day. She was so eager to explore the city that she hadn't bothered going back into her hotel to change. She loved the cold weather and braved it despite that fact that it was freezing. Now as she stood there being modeled like a piece of meat, she really wished she had gone back to change. Her top revealed her sleeve of arm tattoos which covered most of her upper arms and half of her left forearm. Grace hoped that this guy would hate her and send her away. Her tank top was also low cut, revealing too much of her cleavage and the beginning of the deep valley that plunged between her full breasts. The Boss looked at her like a predator stalking its prey. She noticed as she glanced at Nikolai, that even he had been affected by her as his eyes flickered quickly over her body. Grace turned back to The Boss who was practically salivating. Grace tried to cover herself by crossing her arms over her chest. A miserable attempt that only drew more attention to her breasts. The Boss got up from his chair and walked over to Grace, he walked around the platform, circling her. He took in every inch of her with his wicked stare. "Run your hands through your hair." He demanded. Grace raised an eyebrow at his strange request but reluctantly lifted her arms and ran both of her hands through her hair. "Now let it fall." He said in a creepy tone. Grace complied, letting her long caramel tresses cascade down her back. "Again" The Boss said. As she lifted her arms again to repeat the motion, the bottom of her shirt lifted just enough to reveal her toned stomach and part of her shapely hips that were accentuated by her low rise jeans. The Boss stood in front of Grace who stood still with her hands in her hair. "You're a beautiful woman. Too many tattoos for my taste but beautiful all the same." As he said this, he reached his hand out towards her hip and gently began to trace his finger along the top of a small heart tattoo that was peeking out of the front of her jeans. Grace recoiled from his touch. "Don't touch me." She said curtly. He dropped his hand, looking a bit disapppointed. "I'll kill you if you touch me, I swear I'll kill you." Grace heard the anger in her voice although fear was rushing through her. She couldn't let him know that she was intimidated by him. She promised herself that no matter what, she wouldn't go down without a fight. The Boss's eyes darkened before he spoke, "challenge accepted my Beauty." He turned and walked back to the chair but instead of sitting, he gently knocked on the two way mirror. "Da" he said. Grace understood that it was Russian for yes. "make the preparations. I'll take her." Grace's fear sky rocketed and her heart dropped into her stomach. "Take me?" Grace asked, her voice revealing the fear that she tried so hard to mask. "Who's behind that glass? Who the hell are you?" The Boss walked to the door and whispered something to Nikolai. Nikolai nodded quickly. The Boss opened the door and then turned to Grace, giving her a menacing smile. "I am Ivan Romanov and I own you." With that, he turned and left the room. Grace instantly felt sick but she rushed towards the open door. Nikolai cut her off and in one swift motion, threw her over his enormous shoulder. Grace pounded on Nikolai's back and screamed as he carried her back upstairs to her room. "NO! PLEASE!" Grace screamed, her fright obvious now. She sobbed and begged, "PLEASE LET ME GO! I'LL DO ANYTHING!" As they approached her room, Grace tried desparately to grab hold of the door frame to keep Nikolai from locking her back in the tiny hell hole. It was useless as Nikolai barreled through the door. Grace grabbed at his jacket and tried her best to hold on to him in one last ditch effort to avoid being left alone again. Nikolai peeled her off of him and dumped her onto the bed. "PLEASE!" Grace pleaded again. "GOD PLEASE! PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!" She threw herself at Nikolai's feet. He stared down at her emotionless. " God doesn't exist here" He said coldly. "We decide your fate. I suggest you beg this God of yours for mercy and for your sake, a quick death." Nikolai backed out of the room. The last thing he saw as he closed the door, was the look of sheer horror on Grace's face. Her beautiful eyes wide with fright and drowning in tears


	4. Chapter 4

 

Tommy was still reeling at the fact that he was taking part in Ivan's plan. He couldn't get the woman's face out of his mind. She was beautiful. Her name was Grace...it fit her perfectly. When Nikolai had removed her blindfold, Tommy's breath caught in his throat. She had an amazing face and an even better body. He was instantly attracted, at least he thought so by the tightening in his pants. It went against his better judgement. He couldnt let it show and had to remain neutral. Ivan wouldn't trust him if he knew that Tommy found Grace attractive. Nikolai already watched him like a hawk as if he was suspicious of him. Tommy had to be unaffected by her when she was near. He had a job to do and no hot piece of ass was going to keep him from it.

Ivan was sitting in his office puffing on a cigar when Tommy walked in. "What are your orders?" Tommy asked. Ivan stroked his chin as he thought. "See that she eats something and then get her cleaned up. I'll go see her after." Tommy nodded and left the office. Tommy made a call to one of the errand boys and told him to go on a food run. "I don't give a shit what you get her. Just nothing too heavy...and hurry up, The Boss is waiting." Nikolai walked up as Tommy hung up the phone. "She's in her room." Nikolai said as he straightened his jacket. "She put up much of a fight?" Tommy asked. Nikolai gave a grunt and shook his head. "She's a wild one but The Boss will break her soon enough." When Tommy didn't respond, Nikolai stared at him for a second before speaking. "The sooner she stops fighting, the better off she'll be. She must realize that it will do her no good to be defiant." Tommy nodded and gave a quiet "yea". Nikolai slapped him on the back. "It'll get easier boy. The more girls we get, it'll be like second nature." It still amazed Tommy that Nikolai could be so nonchalant about it. Then again, it was all the man knew. He was born to be hard and emotionless. Tommy was a different story. He wasn't sure it would ever get easier for him. He wasn't sure that he would ever get rid of the sick feeling in his stomach when he thought about what was going to happen to the poor girl. Tommy decided to head up to the roof for a smoke. It was the one place he could be alone and think. No one besides Nikolai knew that he went up there and he never bothered him. If Tommy was on the roof, it was obvious that he didn't want to be disturbed. Tommy took a long drag of his cigarette and savored the burning in his lungs. He exhaled deeply, lost in thought about where his life was headed. This wasn't what he had in mind. He was going to be a great fighter, have a nice house, hell maybe even raise a family. He had never even been in love. He was never around long enought to establish any real feelings. It was always a one night stand with him. He had always had a certain kind of woman in mind. A strong woman who knew her own mind and knew exactly what she wanted. Women always said that they knew what they wanted but that always changed once they got their claws in him. Tommy could not stand needy women. He knew that when he found the right woman, he would know. He wasn't sure how but he would. Nothing was how it was supposed to be in his life and it was his father's fault that he was in this mess. If his father hadn't lost thousands of dollars of Ivan's money while playing poker, Tommy wouldn't have to work for Ivan. Ivan would've killed his father had Tommy not stepped in and begged Ivan to give his father a chance to pay him back. Tommy promised Ivan anything in order to get his father a pardon. Unfortunately for Tommy, Ivan had seen him fight. Ivan decided that he could use Tommy as muscle. He was to work for Ivan until he considered the debt to be paid and who knew how long that would take. Ivan could be extremely generous or extremely evil. Tommy couldn't really complain though. Ivan actually treated his employees well. Tommy and the other guys had access to all the liquor, drugs and women they wanted. Tommy usually opted for the booze and the occasional whore. He didn't bother with the drugs. He didn't like not being in control of his own mind. Ivan had actually grown to like Tommy even if he did not completely trust him yet. Tommy was the person that Ivan called when someone needed to be "worked on". Tommy could get anyone to talk. Put Tommy and Nikolai in a room together...the two were truly a terrifying sight. Fierce and deadly. It's the one thing Tommy was good at, beating the shit out of people. He hoped Ivan would dismiss him soon. He desparately wanted to go home and start his life over. He wanted to try and put this mess behind him.

As Tommy contimplated his life, he found himself looking across to the other building. Looking at the dirty window....to her room. Grace's room. Tommy had a perfect view from where he stood. He could see her, lying in the fetal position on the dingy bed and crying uncontrollably. She cried so violently that her body shook. Tommy's heart sank. He had no idea why it bothered him so much. He had seen a lot of women abused during his time with Ivan and though it irked him, he had been able to turn the other cheek. This one was different. Why her? It frustrated the hell out of him that he felt sorry for her and that he wanted to help her. Tommy shook his head. _Man the fuck up. You don't even know her._ He took one last drag of his smoke before flicking it over the side of the building. As Tommy walked back inside, his phone rang. It was Ivan. "Yea Boss?" "Thomas, there has been a change of plans. A business partner of mine is throwing a party at his house tonight. It would be disrespectful if I did not attend. Plus he and I have business to discuss. I'll need a date." "Alright" Tommy said, a little annoyed. That meant he would be going too and he hated parties...almost as much as he hated people. Wearing a tux and being around people he couldn't stand. He wouldn't even be able to get drunk because Ivan would most likely want him to drive. "I'll call one of the girls and have them ready. Any preference?" Ivan paused before speaking. "Yes, I have a preference. I don't want one of the regulars...I want Grace." Tommy stopped in his tracks and scoffed. "Boss, you sure thats a good idea? I mean she just got here. She's still pretty wild. What if she tries something? You don't need that kind of negative attention on you. It'd be safer to use one of the whores." Ivan was silent and Tommy could feel the chill through the phone line. Ivan spoke in an icy tone. "Thomas...I don't appreciate being told no. When I want your shitty advice, I will tell you. DO NOT make me repeat myself. You and Nikolai will keep an eye on her. Call Irina. She will get Grace ready. I expect her to be done by 8:00. Nikolai will ride with Grace. You will drive me." Before Tommy could respond, Ivan hung up. "Fucking prick!" Tommy said out loud. Tommy dialed Irina. "Yea. We need you tonight. New girl, not quite broken in yet. I know it's short notice but that can't be helped. We need her ready by 8:00. Yea...thanks." Tommy sighed and headed downstairs. He needed to get ready. It was going to be an interesting night.


	5. Chapter 5

Grace sat curled in a ball, hugging her knees to her chest. She repeatedly pinched herself in an attempt to wake up from this nightmare. "This can't be real." She said out loud as she rocked back and forth. Tears continually streamed down her face as she thought about just wanting to go home, to be in her own bed. She could only imagine what her family was thinking. She had called home everyday since she had arrived in Russia. She cried harder asa she thought about her mother and how much she worried. She needed to get home but first she needed to get out of the hell hole that she was in. She felt disgusting since she hadn't been able to shower or brush her teeth. On top of that, she was starving. Her stomach growled at her as she had the thought. Grace stood up and walked to the dirty window. She stared at the building next door. She could see the rooftop and thought that if anybody stood up there, they could see into her room. She wiped at the dirt on the window thinking that maybe she could break it....if she did, that what? She was too high up to climb out without risking a deadly fall. She thought it might be worth the risk. As Grace contimplated her dilemma, the door opened and Nikolai walked in. He stared at her for a moment and she thought he almost looked guilty. Of course that was bullshit. This man wasn't capable of feeling anything remotely human. "We need to go" he said. Grace became alarmed. "Go where?" Nikolai sighed and straightened his stance. "For your own safety, please do as you're told. I'll explain shortly but first you need to come with me." Grace wiped at the tears that were streaming down her face again. She hung her head and slowly walked past Nikolai into the hallway. He placed a large hand on her arm. "Let's go" he said, actually pulling her gently for the first time.

Nikolai led Grace down the hallway and down two flights of stairs. Grace could feel the weakness in her legs. No food or water was starting to take its toll on her. Grace held tightly to the railings. Nikolai could feel her slowly down. "Do I need to carry you?" he asked. "No!" Grace said, surprised. "I'm just feeling weak." Nikolai looked mildly concerned but continued down the stairs. "We'll get you some food shortly." Nikolai took Grace in to a large room that resembled a shabby studio apartment. "What is this?" Grace asked nervously. Nikolai motioned for her to sit down. Grace sank into a couch nd nearly sighed of relief. She could fall asleep in an instant if she allowed herself. There was a knock at the door and Nikolai opened it partially, speaking to the person on the other side. Grace tried to listen to the conversation. She leaned to one side to try and see who Nikolai was talking to. Grace only saw the person's arm and a pair of expensive looking black shoes. The mystery person handed Nikolai a brown paper bag. "Irina should be here soon" the mystery man said. Nikolai nodded. "Good. We'll wait for her here." Grace took note that the mystery man did not have Russian accent but instead sounded American. Nikolai closed the door and turned to Grace, handing her the brown bag. "What is it?" Grace asked suspiciously. Nikolai set the bag on the small table in front of her. Nikolai opened the bag and pulled out two containers. He opened them, revealing a salad in one and baked chicken with grilled vegetables in the other one. It smelled divine and Grace's stomach rumbled in response. "Eat." Nikolai commanded, handing her a plastic knife and fork. Grace cut a piece of chicken and held it to her lips. Nikolai watcher her curiously. Grace felt annoyed. "Are you going to watch me eat?" Nikolai smirked. "I've been instructed to make sure you eat." Grace put her fork down. "Why? Is it poisoned?" she asked, staring sadly at her food. Nikolai let out a small evil laugh. "Why go through all this trouble just to poison you with chicken?" Grace shrugged realizing that Nikolai had a point. He nodded his head at her food, encouraging her to eat. Grace slowly placed the chicken in her mouth and against her will, she moaned in delight as the tender meat melted in her mouth. She continued to ravage the chicken as if it was her last meal. She slowed her eating as that morbid thought sank in. It could be her last meal. "Um...may I have some water please?" Nikolai nodded and walked to a small mini bar and poured a glass of water from a pitcher. He handed Grace the glass and she drank it in one long gulp. Nikolai refilled her glass again. Grace drank slower this time, indulging the way the cold water quenched her dry throat. She continued to eat in silence as Nikolai sat by the door and began writing in a small journal. Grace's mind raced with thoughts of what was going to happen to her next but she too afraid to ask. Nikolai was surprisingly displaying some patience and she wanted it to stay that way. Grace cleared her plate but had completely ignored the salad. She was stuffed. Grace cleared her throat to get Nikolai's attention. He looked up from his journal and peered at her over his eye glasses. He was a good looking man. Too bad he was psychotic. "I'm finished" Grace said quietly. Nikolai walked over to her. "Did you get enough to eat? Was it to your satisfaction?" Grace nodded, "I did, thank you." Nikolai cleared the plates and Grace leaned back on the couch. After that meal, all she wanted to do was sleep. She could feel her eyes getting heavy and before she knew it, she was snoring loudly. Nikolai stared at Grace dumbfounded. He didn't expect her to let her guard down enough to fall asleep. She had eaten so fast and had not slept since she had arrived. Nikolai decided to let her sleep while he waited for Irina to arrive.

Twenty minutes later there was a knock at the door. Nikolai opened it to reveal a tall, lean pale woman. Her sharp blue eyes were lined thickly with black winged eyeliner and her lips were a deep red. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a perfect, tight bun. She was dressed in all black leather consisting of a tight black pencil skirt that molded tightly around her hips and thighs. Her matching black blazer was low cut and showed up her ample bosom. Her long sculpted legs were accentuated by black stilleto heels. This woman looked like a high end fashion model. "Irina", Nikolai said as he looked her up and down, drinking her in. He had always found her attractive but she was as beautiful as she was lethal. "Nikki" Irina replied curtly as she pushed past him into the room. Behind her followed three petite blondes, all who toted black cases containing the items that Irina needed to prepare Grace for her night out. "You're looking well" Nikolai told her as he walked to the mini bar to make her a drink. "Yes I know" Irina retorted as she straightened her blazer. Nikolai snorted at her arrogance. Irina wasn't cold for no reason. She was Ivan's closest cousin, so it was no surprise that she had ice running through her veins. Nikolai handed Irina a glass of vodka and eyeball fucked her as she took it from him. Irina smirked at him as she took a sip. Irina stopped mid sip as she noticed the attractive woman on the couch that was snoring obnoxiously. "Is this her?" Irina asked, tilting her head to the side. "Yes" Nikolai said, standing beside her. "It's the first time she has slept since she arrived." Irina narrowed her eyes. "Since she arrived? You mean before you took her and held her in that shit hole of a room." Nikolai sneered at her. "Don't act so noble Irina. You're not an innocent party here." Irina sighed. "So she felt comfortable enough to sleep? Let me guess, you bored her to sleep by reading her an entry from your precious journal." Nikolai narrowed his eyes at her. He did not like being teased, not even by beautiful Irina. "You're just bitter because all you have going for you is your looks!" Nikolai shot back. Irina's lips curled into a sneer and then instantly switched to a sarcastic grin. She patted Nikolai's cheek. He hated that. "As much as I adore out little banter sessions Nikki, I really must get to work if I'm going to make this mess somewhat presentable." Irina waved her hand dismissively towards Grace. Nikolai looked at his watch. "You have two hours. I'll come back for her then." Nikolai paused before walking out the door. "Be careful, she's a fighter." Irina smiled wickedly. "Good. I like a challenge."

 


	6. Chapter 6

Grace's eyes snapped open, "What the hell? Did I really fall asleep?" She sat up and focused her blurry eyes on the figure that was sitting in front of her. "Sorry to disrupt your nap but we have a time limit." Grace narrowed her eyes at the woman. She was beautiful with chiseled features and high cheekbones that most women would kill for. She sat regally with her long legs crossed, bouncing one stilletoed foot up and down impatiently. "Who the hell are you?" Grace asked, as she absentmindedly wiped a tiny amount of drool from the corner of her mouth. The woman eyed her curiously and raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "I am Irina Romanov" she said in a thick Russian accent. Grace noted her voice was kind of deep and husky but not in a masculine way. It was sexy and smooth like silk. "Romanov..." Grace recognized the name. "You're related to that bastard that brought me here. The one that had me kidnapped. What are you, his wife?" Irina threw her head back and let out a wicked laugh. "God, no my dear. That bastard is my cousin." Grace winced as she realized that it probably wasn't a good idea to insult Ivan right to his own family. Irina could see the regret on Grace's face and smirked at her. "Don't be sorry girl, he is a bastard." Grace studied Irina for a moment. "So why are you here? Where is the big, creepy guy...Nikolai?" Irina rose from her chair, "He'll be back shortly. As for me, I am here to get you ready." Grace tensed instantly. Ready for what?" Irina furrowed her brow. "For the party you will be attending with Ivan tonight." Grace jumped up quickly. "I'm not going anywhere with that psychopath!", she screamed and backed away. Irina stalked towards her slowly. "Darling" she said in a calm but icy tone. "You will be going, so there is no point in working yourself into a frenzy. We're wasting time and if you're not ready by the time he is expecting you, there will be hell to pay. We will both be in deep shit and I'll be damned if I am going to get berated because of you." Grace stared wide eyed at the woman. There was something in her eyes that said she wasn't blowing smoke. Grace had the idea of punching Irina in the face and making a run for it but where would she go? She had no clue where she was or how to get out of this place and what if there was a guard on the other side of the door?

As if she knew what Grace was thinking, Irina spoke and snapped her out of her thoughts. "I wouldn't try anything stupid if I were you. It's not worth the consequences you will face. Besides, you wouldn't be the first to try it." Grace hung her head and chided herself when her eyes started filling up with tears. Irina gently lifted Grace's chin and looked into her eyes. She wiped a tear that escaped. "You never let them see you cry.", Irina said sternly. Grace's eyes widened in surprise. Irina stroked her cheek with the back of her hand and then let it fall to her side. She looked sad. "Ivan likes the fear. He thrives on it. Do not give him what he craves. You hold your head up and look him in the eye. It makes him nervous and it may be the only thing that saves you." Grace shook her head. "Why are you telling me this?" Irina cleared her throat and looked away. "Come. We're behind schedule." Irina snapped her fingers and on cue, the three blonde women jumped and began to scurry about like terrified mice. Grace hadn't even noticed them until now. It was obvious that Irina had the same effect on people that Ivan did. Grace watched the women as they hurriedly organized the contents of the black cases that they carried. It was all makeup and hair products. One of the women disappeared into the restroom as Irina barked orders in Russian. The woman moved even faster and two of them took Grace by the arms and led her into the restroom. Irina followed and once inside, the two women began trying removing Grace's clothes. Grace smacked at their hands and they stared at her confused. "What the hell are you doing?!" The woman stared at Irina awaiting further instructions. Irina stepped forward. "They are removing your clothes." Grace scoffed. "Excuse me? Like hell they are!" Irina sighed and closed her eyes as if gathering patience. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "You will remove your clothes now and you will bathe." She glared at Grace, daring her to defy once again."Stop. Wasting. My. Time." Irina was short and to the point. Grace looked at the other women in the restroom with her. "You expect me to get naked in front of you?" Irina stared at her. "You'll be naked in front of HIM a lot sooner if you do not do as you're told. Us women seeing your naked should be the least of your worries." Irina suddenly clapped her hands making everyone jump, as she commanded the women to get out. "Ubiraytes!" The women left the restroom instantly. Irina looked at Grace once again. "Get in the tub. You have two minutes." Irina turned sharply and left Grace alone. Grace sighed and stared at the steam rising from the tub. It smelled of Jasmine oil and it beckoned to her. She hadn't had a bath in days and it was too tempting to resist. She stripped her clothes and dipped one foot in to the hot water. She winced and put her other foot in, slowly submerging her body all the way. The water, though almost scalding, instantly soothed her tired and aching muscles. Grace closed her eyes and leaned her head back to wet her hair. She sighed, almost invisioning her bruised ribs and other wounds being washed away. There was a sharp knock on the door and Irina entered again. Grace sat up quickly and covered her breasts with her arms. "Am I not getting any privacy for Christ's sake?!" Irina sucked her teeth at Grace's comment. "Don't be ridiculous. There is no time for privacy. We must go soon." Irina grabbed a washcloth and sat on the edge of the tub behind Grace. She began to wash Grace's back. Grace whipped around, "What the hell are you doing lady?!" Irina grabbed Grace's shoulders and turned her back around a bit too forcefully for Grace's bruised ribs. "Stop acting like a petulant child Grace. I wash you now." Grace pushed Irina's hand away. "I can wash myself thank you!" Irina sighed and stood up. She stared at Grace sternly. "You need to listen to me Grace. I will say this for the last time, as clearly as possible. You no longer have a say in what happens to you. You are merely an object, a trophy. Ivan's latest conquest to do with as he pleases. The sooner you accept that, the easier your new life will be." Irina's eyes softened and she took in the look of grief on Grace's face. For some reason, she had a soft spot for this one. She knew Grace was different but all the same, the rules still applied. Irina touched Grace's cheek. "You need to learn to survive now. I can show you how. Do as you're told and you'll make it. It's simple Grace. You listen, you live. It's really all up to you." Grace's eyes filled with tears and she hung her head, not wanting this woman to see her lose her resolve. Irina dropped the washcloth in the water. "Wash yourself well. I'll give you ten minutes but then my girls will finish their job and you will let them. Trust me my dear, you'd rather have me doing this instead of Nikolai. You know he's not as kind." Irina left Grace to absorb what she had just told her. More like confirm what Grace was already afraid of. She was not getting out of here, not alive anyway. She had to try to survive no matter what the cost. She had to find a way out. Grace took the washcloth and slowly began to wash herself, carefully scrubbing the dried blood off of her wounds. She found it hard to do so with shaky hands. She hugged her knees to her chest, trying to find solace in herself. No longer able to keep her emotions at bay, she began to cry hard. Her sorrowful tears mixing with the Jasmine water.


	7. Chapter 7

Tommy had been able to escape his duties for a little while, so he headed to his small one bedroom flat inside the city. He really needed to gather his thoughts and get some rest. He had done as Ivan had asked and he made sure that food had been ordered for Grace and he had even hand delivered it to Nikolai personally. He knew Grace had been inside the room with Nikolai and he was so tempted to sneak another peek at her but he it would've been too obvious to Nikolai. Irina would've arrived soon after in order to get Grace ready for the evening. Tommy wondered what was going through Grace's mind right now and if she was scared or if she was still keeping it together as well as she was when he first saw her. She had shown so much strength and heart but he knew that she must have been terrified. He couldn't figure out why he was so concerned about her. Was it because she was American or because she was beautiful...or had he just had enough of this lifestyle, that it had made him soft? Whatever the reason, it was bugging the hell out of him. He didn't want to care about anything or anyone. He just wanted to do his job and go home. Still...Grace's name kept repeating in his mind. He would say it over and over and he liked the way it rolled off his tongue. _Grace._ He had to stop thinking about her. She was just another pawn in Ivan's twisted game. Saying her name and picturing her face just made it real, too real for him. Nikolai had told him in the beginning not to think of the women as people. They were just objects. They weren't even supposed to call them by their names. Tommy hated it. All the other women had been Russian and in a way, they hadn't really known any other life. They never fought back, only cried at times. Grace was so different. She was the first American that Ivan had ever taken. It was exciting and new for him....a challenge. Tommy had a feeling that it would come back to bite them all in the ass. Someone was bound to be searching for her. She must have family somewhere who was wondering where she was. Tommy quietly hoped that someone was looking for Grace and that she would be found before Ivan did too much damage but mostly he hoped that Ivan would get his in the end. Tommy sighed and shook his head as he poured himself a drink. He had a couple of hours before he needed to pick up Ivan. Tommy swallowed his drink in one long gulp and laid on his couch. He tried to quiet his mind and push the dark thoughts from his head. Before he knew it, he was sound asleep.

Tommy woke an hour and a half later. He sat up feeling groggy and rubbed his face, then looked at the clock. _"Shit!"_ He was running late. He needed to pick up Ivan in an hour and he still hadn't showered. Ivan would have his balls if he wasn't there on time. Tommy stripped his clothes off as he hurried to the restroom for a quick shower. He was surprisingly able to shave quickly without knicking himself. He splashed on some aftershave and smoothed some gel through his hair, slicking it straight back. Not a hair out of place, he headed to his bedroom and silently thanked his cleaning lady for laying out his best suit and tie. She always went above and beyond and did way more than her job entailed. She was employed by Ivan and was paid well but Tommy made a mental note to leave her a little something extra just for taking such good care of him. He dressed carefully as he always did when putting on the $20,000 Italian custom made suit. It was designed by Ermenegildo Zegna from Trivero, Italy. Irina had actually bought him the suit when he first started working for Ivan. Ivan insisted that his employees be well dressed at all times. Tommy and Irina had hit it off immediately and he was grateful for her generosity. The suit was made up of over 700 fabrics. It was light and durable yet luxurious and refined. He put on some matching leather dress shoes and gave himself a once over in the mirror. He adjusted his tie and was ready to go. He patted himself on the back for getting ready so quickly and not looking to shabby if he did say so himself. He would be able to get to Ivan in time. Tommy headed out in Ivan's SUV and while he drove, wondered how Grace would handle the evening. He also wondered how she would look. He hoped he would be able to keep his eyes off of her. He needed to be careful and scolded himself for even thinking about her in such a way. The poor woman was going through enough without him ogling her. Besides, Ivan and Nikolai would be keeping an eye on her, so he better not get caught staring. Tommy hoped that Grace would be able to stay calm and that she wouldn't get too overwhelmed. He cringed when he thought about what would happen to her at the end of the evening once Ivan was finally able to get her alone.

Tommy called Nikolai to check in. Nikolai answered his phone with a short "Privet". Tommy informed him that he was on his way to pick up Ivan. "I'm heading to pick up The Boss. What's your status?" Nikolai was silent for a moment and then spoke. "I am getting the girl. I'll be there on schedule." Nikolai did not give Tommy time to respond before hanging up the phone. "Yeah okay Dick!" Tommy yelled into the receiver and then tossed his phone down. That was just how Nikolai was but Tommy hated it. He pulled up in front of a posh looking hotel just as Ivan was walking through the front doors escorted by his own personal guards. Tommy jumped out of the SUV and opened the back door for Ivan. Ivan gave Tommy a once over before nodding his head and patting Tommy's arm in approval. Tommy helped Ivan into the vehicle and even held the door open for the armed guards. They said nothing as they climbed in and sat silently with their dark suits and ear pieces, surveying their surroundings of cars and people. Tommy drove silently until Ivan spoke. "Is my date ready?" he asked with a smirk. Tommy felt disgusted. _Date? As if she agreed to this or has a choice?_   "Yes, she's ready. Nikolai was about to pick her up. They should be there soon." Ivan nodded content. "Good. I want to make my rounds before she joins me." Tommy nodded sadly. "Yes Boss." This was going to be an interesting evening.

 


End file.
